Rise, Bastet
by Jaguarin
Summary: COMPLETE!! FINALE UP. An old enemy of Batman returns to the city and uses Dinah and her Canary Cry against Huntress...
1. Dinah and her dreams

Tanks to Shadow Walker, Rad, Cateyes and Yank!!!  
  
RISE, BASTET  
  
Dinah woke up in the middle of the night sweating and breathing excitedly, her dreams disturbing her again. The past few nights, she's been having a recurring nightmare and she felt an enormous anguish in her heart. She shoved the sheets aside and went to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, and poured herslef a glass of water. She drank the whole thing, then poured some more and sat on the kitchen table, propping her head with her hands and covering her face.  
  
"Something happen?" Bárbara's voice made her jump.  
  
"No. "  
  
"You are trembling" Barbara wheeled closer.  
  
"It was only a nightmare..." the youth tried to appear calm and pushed her hair back.  
  
"Dinah..." Barbara raised an eyebrow; she didn't believe a single word.  
  
Dinah puckered her mouth, knowing it was wrong to lie. She stared Barbara in the eye and asked her: "How to know when it is a dream or a premonition?"  
  
"Well, it's something that you will discover with time. Have patience." Barbara took her hand and pressed gently. "What happened?"  
  
"It is a recurring dream. It really scares me. I am in a dark room, then suddenly I sink into the floor. I have Huntress in my arms. She is sweating and her eyes are morphed, but have a strange red color. her look, it's horrible, empty, and she tells me that she is dying. She asks me to help her and she grabs me with her hands. they have blood on them and... then I awake. It is so scary, her eyes..."  
  
The girl is quiet for awhile, then she says, "Barbara... what if it's not just a dream?"  
  
"We will know what to do when the time comes. " Barbara smiled at her. "Feel better?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Well, now let's go to sleep; tomorrow we must to get up early."  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah sometimes felt that the responsibility of her powers was so much, she didn't know how to manage it and the learning process was slow. Several times she had wanted to not have that ability to dream, the uncertainty of not knowing what is real or not; it makes her feel restless.  
  
A few days later she was on the second floor in the Clocktower in the living room. She was writing her thoughts on paper and she drew a big sad face. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind.  
  
"Hey, what is this?" she heard Helena's voice and searched for the paper. It wasn't on the table. She turned her head and saw Helena picking up the paper off the floor.  
  
"Give me that!" She shouted, immediately grabbing Helena's hand. Dinah felt a strong electric shock and saw Helena's eyes, her eyes were red, the same red of her dreams. "No!" she screamed.  
  
Helena was surprised and didn't know what to do. Dinah stared at her, feeling really scared. Barbara was working on the lab cleaning a keyboard. When she heard the scream, she looked up stairs and shouted, "Helena!"  
  
"I didn't do anything!" she said, releasing Dinah's hand.  
  
Dinah looked again at Huntress' eyes, and they were normal.  
  
Helena saw the fright in her face and crouched down to her. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes.I just need to sleep awhile." She took her papers and put them inside her bag.  
  
"What happened?" Barbara asked from the lab.  
  
"Nothing, I was distracted and I didn't hear Helena!" Dinah answered and walked to her room. Helena stood up and raised her elbows at Barbara. When Dinah closed the door, Helena walked down stairs toward Barbara.  
  
"I didn't do anything." she said to her.  
  
"I know, she has been really nervous the last weeks." Barbara took off her eyeglasses and turned her wheelchair to Helena.  
  
"Why?" She put her hands in her pockets.  
  
"Dreams. her power is growing and she is scared; she doesn't know when it's a premonition and when it's just a nightmare. I have been talking with her, but I don't understand her; she is too young. She lost her mother, she's in a new city and doesn't have many friends. Then there's school and our dangerous work that can be so stressful..."  
  
"Can I help?"  
  
"Just be patient with her. I know that it's difficult for you, but please try. You two get along very well, and Dinah feels so sensitive right now. Most of it is about you."  
  
"About me?"  
  
"She has been dreaming of you."  
  
"Me?" Huntress asked surprised.  
  
"You always are on the edge," Barbara explained "you are too impulsive, and love the danger. She really appreciates you and is afraid that something might happen to you, like to her mother. It's normal."  
  
Huntress moved her head, didn't know what to say. Barbara turned her wheelchair to the desk where she was repairing the keyboard.  
  
"The only thing that we can do is support her, and I ask for you to be patient."  
  
"Ok." Helena looked her watch. "I need go to work."  
  
"Ok, I see you tonight, have fun."  
  
"Yeah, Leonard is very funny," she said sarcatically, walking toward the elevator. "See you gator."  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, at New Gotham High School, Barbara was working. She was reviewing several of her students' exams in her classroom. The classes had let out an hour ago and those were the best moments to work. Somebody knocked on the door and broke her train of thought. She raised her head and looked at the smiling face of Dinah peeking in the door.  
  
"Hello, what are you doing here?" Barbara smiled and continued working. "I need your permission" Dinah explained holding up a piece of paper among her hands, she could hide her enthusiasm.  
  
"Permission?" Barbara stopped her work and raised her head up to pay attention. Dinah was really excited.  
  
"There's an exhibition of ancient Egypt and my history teacher, the Director of the Museum of New Gotham, has requested volunteers to assist on opening day" she explained.  
  
"And you want to go..."  
  
"Yes, it would be great, the President will come. Please, please, I need you to sign this permission slip. You know I love this stuff, it's better than dissecting frogs..." she extended her arm and held the paper in front of Barbara.  
  
"Okay, okay, give me that paper." Barbara read the document and signed it.  
  
"Perfect!" Dinah took the slip with an enormous grin on her face, "Today is the last day. May I go to the cellars of the Museum to give it to him?"  
  
"Sure, just remember, be home early for dinner."  
  
Dinah hugged Barbara and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving, running out the classroom. Barbara shook her head, amused and resumed to her work. She was pleased to see that Dinah had begun to adapt to the school. It had been a difficult first months for her.  
  
* * * 


	2. In the Museum

Dinah felt better, Barbara was helping her with more excersises to control her mind powers. She arrived at the Cellars of the Museum of New Gotham asking for her teacher. She walked to the last cellar as he was opening the last shipment of the Exhibition. Dinah hurried to enter. This was a magnificent opportunity to see the pieces up close. She knocked on the door before entering but nobody responded.  
  
She walked inside, calling to her professor without an answer. Suddenly she heard a noise coming from the bottom of the building and went toward it. Her eyes opened wide when she saw an enormous man over her professor's body. She threw her books to the floor and with a quick movement of her hand she slammed him against the wall,  
  
"Go away!" she exclaimed.  
  
The big man got up and he tried to attack Dinah, but she again used her mental power to throw him against a pile of boxes.  
  
"That's extraordinary, telekinesis!" Dinah turned when she heard a voice behind her. A strange man with white-streaked hair observed her.  
  
"Who are you?" Dinah asked him.  
  
"Surprising, really surprising" The man seemed not to hear and walked toward her.  
  
"Not another step or..." Dinah stepped back.  
  
"Yes I already know." he continued walking toward her.  
  
"Don't come closer..."  
  
"I won't, he will."  
  
Dinah felt a strong impact in the nape of her neck that made her fall. Ubu, the man's bodyguard, had hit her with a stick on the head. Her view clouded over, and the last thing she saw was the two men standing next to her.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hi! Have something?" Helena arrived at the Clocktower with a big smile "Who are we going to catch today?"  
  
"Unless it's Dinah, I don't know who it will be..." Barbara answered in an annoyed tone while she ascended the ramp heading for her monitor.  
  
"Uh, oh..." Huntress followed her and sat down on the nearby desk "From your voice I am guessing that you're very angry. What did she do now?"  
  
"She should have been here much earlier and she hasn't appeared or called... I hope she realizes that now she can forget being an assistant in the museum."  
  
"Assistant? Did I miss something?"  
  
"Forget it... it's between her and me..."  
  
"Did you use the transmitter?"  
  
"No," Barbara showed it to her "she left it here today so I can clean it."  
  
"Did you call Gabby?"  
  
"Of course I did but nobody has seen her... she went to the museum cellar to drop off a permission slip that I signed. She is surely at the bar with Gibson. She always loses track of time when she's there"  
  
"Do you want me to go see?"  
  
"No, it's late, go patrol."  
  
"Okay," Huntress rose and walked to the exit, "but first I'll go to the cellar, she probably just stayed chatting with her professor, she loves that history thing..."  
  
"Helena, I said no, go to patrol!" Barbara exclaimed angry.  
  
Helena met Alfred on the way, and raised her eyes up before entering to the elevator "I don't want to be around for your bad mood the whole night, see you."  
  
"Helena!"  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress arrived at Cellars of the Museum of New Gotham, jumping over the roofs to avoid the security. The door to the entrance was open. She walked in, the lights were out, except one at the bottom. She walked slowly looking around, she stopped when saw the body of a man sprawled over the floor. She bent over him and touched his neck.  
  
"We have problems Oracle" she turned on the mic.  
  
:: What's going on? ::  
  
"There's a dead man, he's cold... he has to have been here for hours. Call the police, I think it's Dinah's professor."  
  
::Is she there? ::  
  
"I don't know, let me check." Huntress saw some notebooks on the floor, she picked them up and realized that they belonged to her friend. "Her books are here" she said and began to walk in the surroundings "Perhaps she surprised the murderers."  
  
::Was there a robbery, Huntress? :: Oracle asked her.  
  
"There's some open boxes but apparently everything is in place... wait" Helena noticed that one of the smallest boxes was empty. "There's something missing here... the box has a sign that says, 'Staff of Sekhmet'. Who is that?"  
  
::An Egyptian Goddess of war, with woman's body and a lion's head. Dinah will be in problems.::  
  
"I think so..."  
  
::Huntress, the alarm of the Egyptian room of the Museum of New Gothic City is on::  
  
"On my way, it's gotta be the same guys and we can find Dinah."  
  
:: OK::  
  
* * *  
  
The Museum was very near of the cellars, Huntress jumped over the roofs and five minutes later she was in the Museum, she broke one of the windows in the upper level to enter and ran hastily to the Egyptian room. She saw a thin figure with a gold piece between her hands, next to one of the cabinets.  
  
"The party's over" she exclaimed.  
  
The thin figured turned and Huntress stopped cold. Right in front of her was Dinah with the Scepter of Horus, the god of the sun in her hands.  
  
"Dinah...? What are you doing here?." Huntress walked toward her "Are you okey? We have been looking for..."  
  
Without saying anything, the youth tried to punch her.  
  
"What happened to you?" Huntress stopped her hand.  
  
The blond youth seemed not to listen and threw her another blow that Huntress grabbed with her hand.  
  
"Dinah, it's me, Huntress." She said.  
  
"Huntress? I believe that today you will be the prey..." Dinah exclaimed and suddenly she hit her with her knee in the stomach and punched her chin.  
  
"Barbara..." Huntress stepped back and held her chin, "Dinah is here, but doesn't recognize me."  
  
::You won't hurt her:: Oracle said.  
  
"And who'll tell her not to injure to me?" Huntress avoided another punch "Okay Dinah, we have to talk, I can't fight against you. Do you remember me, Barbara...?" before she was able to finish the sentence, she felt a strong blow in her back that threw her downward.  
  
Dinah threw a stone sculpture at her.  
  
Huntress tried to react but Dinah grabbed her neck with her forearm and began to suffocate her. The girl grabbed tighter. Huntress had to get up throwing Dinah and shattering her against the wall. Dinah fell to the ground.  
  
"Damn..." Huntress said holding her neck "... Sorry Dinah..."  
  
::What happen?:: Barbara asked.  
  
"Give me a second, I have a little problem with her..."  
  
Dinah stood up and attacked Huntress again. She moved quicker and threw her to the floor bending one of her arms back to immobilize her.  
  
"Enough!" Huntress exclaimed "I need you to calm down!"  
  
"Let me go!" Dinah continued fighting.  
  
"Dinah, calm down!"  
  
Dinah felt the anger growing inside her and began to scream in frustration, suddenly she opened her mouth and a sharp sound left her. Huntress howled in pain, the sound from Dinah's mouth hurt her terribly. Dinah hit Huntress strongly with the back of her hand making her fall...  
  
* * *  
  
Oracle lowered the audio level of the speakers when she heard the sound.  
  
"What is that?" Alfred asked her.  
  
Barbara kept silent a moment. "I don't know... I'm not sure"  
  
"The necklace...?"  
  
"No... was a sound from the Museum, but is too high."  
  
"The alarms of the Museum?"  
  
"No, it's different..." 


	3. The power of the sound

Oracle lowered the audio level of the speakers when she heard the sound.  
  
"What is that?" Alfred asked her.  
  
Barbara kept silent a moment. "I don't know... I'm not sure"  
  
"The necklace...?"  
  
"No... was a sound from the Museum, but is too high."  
  
"The alarms of the Museum?"  
  
"No, it's different..."  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress didn't know exactly what was happening, she only tried to block the sound unsuccessfully with her hands over her ears. Dinah was thrilled to be able to have control., smiled and closed her mouth. Huntress put one of her hands in the floor trying to stand up but Dinah gave her a strong kick in the ribs.  
  
"I'm better than you!" the blondie said and looking at an enormous glass counter with archaeological pieces, made it fall over Huntress. She was still dazed because of the sound and only reached to cover her face with her arms.  
  
The alarms of the museum were shot and began to sound with great din. Dinah took advantage of the moment and ran away, but not without picking up the Scepter of Horus.  
  
* * *  
  
Oracle tried to reestablish contact unsuccessfully. She turned her wheelchair toward the elevator. "The museum is five blocks from here.".  
  
"You can't go, the police will be there..."  
  
"Huntress must be in trouble." she said pressing the button of the elevator. In that moment the door opened up and Huntress practically fell on top of Barbara. She reached for her to avoid her hitting her face against the chair.  
  
"Huntress!!" she shouted.  
  
"My ears..." she mumbled resting her head in Barbara's lap trying to stay awake.  
  
"Take her to the infirmary Alfred!" Barbara exclaimed.  
  
"Are you okay Miss Helena?" Alfred asked helping her to wake up. He took her practically crawling to the infirmary and laid her in the bed.  
  
"What happened?" Barbara came closer quickly.  
  
"Dinah threw me above a cabinet..." Huntress said with a low voice. Her ears hurt her terribly. "More than 5,000 years of history fell over me... Oww, my ears..."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"After she almost killed me, she ran away..." Huntress pressed her teeth together. "Barbara, my ears are killing me!"  
  
"Let me check you" Barbara went to the drawer and took an special intrument to check her eardrums "What was that sound?. I lost your signal suddenly" She sat next to her and examined her necklace. As she fingered it, she noticed that it had a slight blackness about the circuting "I think that the sound broke the wiring of your mic, in other words, short circuited it. Let me see your ears."  
  
Helena jumped when she felt the tip of the instrument in her ear.  
  
"Don't move..." Barbara requested "What was that sound?"  
  
"... I don't know, I was grabbing Dinah and suddenly I heard it. I had to let her go to cover my ears. That was when she threw me above the cabinet. She escaped and I left the way you saw me come in. I couldn't walk..."  
  
"I don't know how you got here... If the sound damaged your necklace, it is obvious that affected your whole nervous system. Your eardrums are very irritated... I will give you an analgesic." Barbara left the instrument on the table. "Alfred, help me remove her jacket..."  
  
"Why...?" In that moment Huntress realized that she had gotten cut. "My jacket! Damn! It's ripped! I can do it myself." Helena tried to sit up but her movements were clumsy and her hands trembled.  
  
"No, you can't..." Barbara said making a sign for Alfred to help her. This time Helena didn't protest "The ears maintain the corporal balance, a very strong sound can alter that balance, affecting concentration and movement. That sound that you heard was extremely high, and therefore affected you."  
  
Barbara gave the jacket to Alfred and turned her wheelchair to a table where a jar of water sat and she poured a glass.  
  
Alfred held out the jacket and he observed it thoroughly. "I regret to say Miss Helena, that it is useless"  
  
"Don't tell me that!" Huntress closed her eyes.  
  
"Takes this." Barbara came closer helping her lift her head to take some pills "it will help stop the pain in your ears."  
  
Barbara set the glass of water aside and took some gauzes. Helena had two big cuts, one in the right arm and another in her left forearm.  
  
"Will I be okay soon?" Helena asked.  
  
"The human ears need more than 16 hours of rest to compensate 2 hours of exhibition to 100 dB, like in a disco, but you received more than 145. However, you are meta, so maybe in five hours you will feel better. The sounds of more of 120 dB can damage the ear cells and can cause hearing loss. Thank God it seems that was not your case."  
  
"I didn't understand anything." Helena grimaced, the antiseptic burned her wounds.  
  
"Well," Barbara sighed while she cleaned her arm "A motorcycle produces 90 DbA, a speaker of a rock group near a meter, 110 DbA; an airplane near 25 meters 150DbA. Generally this breaks the eardrums. My system of audio registered that the sound that you heard was of more than 145 DbA. At a very short distance, if you listened to it a little longer would kill you."  
  
"The sound could kill me? Hey!" Helena jumped lightly when felt the antiseptic on her cheek.  
  
"Yes, will you be still? We won't end up this way..."  
  
"Ok, ok. Why is Dinah stealing Egyptian artifacts from museums? I don't understand... "  
  
"Me neither, something must have happened to her. As soon as I finish with you, I'll investigate it."  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah arrived to the old zoo New Gotham and entered the dark grottos. She walked in a long dark corridor until she found herself in a strange place; it was lit with rows of torches, similar to that of an old Egyptian pyramid.  
  
The man in a green suit, who had been waiting for her, smiled as he saw her.  
  
"Could you so it my dear?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"Yes, I had a small problem, but here it is," she handed him the Scepter of Horus.  
  
"Problem?"  
  
"Huntress appeared."  
  
"Huntress? Who is Huntress?"  
  
"The girl I work with.But it's ok, don't worry."  
  
"Is she like you?" Dinah had perked his curiosity.  
  
"No, she's different; she's half meta and half human, because of her father, Batman."  
  
The man stood paralyzed as he heard the name. He stared at Dinah, "Batman? Your friend is the daughter of Batman, Bruce Wayne?"  
  
Dinah felt a little scared, "Yes. do you know him?"  
  
"You don't have any idea how many times I tried to convince him to be part of my organization. He was an extraordinary detective and fighter, but when he refused my offer he became my enemy. He would have been a magnificent element."  
  
Ra's mind began to loose itself as it wondered into memories of the old times. Suddenly he raised his head, "What abilities does your friend have?"  
  
"Well, Helena is like a cat, she can jump very high buildings, she's quick, well skilled, fights very well and really dangerous, she has night vision. She isn't a genius though."  
  
Ra's kept silent for a while before he asked, "And do you know where to find her?"  
  
"Sure, why?"  
  
"I believe it is through people I need to achieve my plan successfully, the gods have favored me, first I found you and now, her."  
  
"I don't understand you, but if you want."  
  
"You will soon understand my small apprentice, you will soon understand." 


	4. Ra's Al

CATEYES. RAD, SHADOW WALKER, YANK, THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Oracle had been reviewing files for an hour when Huntress walked in and sat hesitantly next to her.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Barbara asked.  
  
"Still a little shaky."  
  
"Your ears?"  
  
"Better."  
  
Alfred approached them with a couple of lukewarm cushions on a tray, and a elastic band, Barbara took them and handed them over to Helena.  
  
"What's this?" Helena asked.  
  
"Put the cushions on your ears and fix the band around your head, it will help."  
  
"Is this a joke?"  
  
"No, do it." Barbara continued searching for data on her monitor. Helena took the band, anything that would help take the annoying pain away, was welcome.  
  
"Reese confirmed that the Scepter of Horus and the Staff of Sekhmet were stolen, "Barbara said, "the body you found was indeed Dinah's professor, the director of the museum. The Scepter of Isis and Anubis have been stolen in Egypt."  
  
"Could they be linked?" Helena watched the screen with curiosity.  
  
"Probably," Barbara smiled when she saw the cushions on Helena's ears.  
  
"Don't make any jokes," Helena frowned.  
  
"No, never."  
  
"Why Dinah?"  
  
"That's what we still have to figure out." Barbara gave a deep sigh and continued working.  
  
Both Barbara and Helena had worked late into the night, searching for information and data. All the stolen artifacts were symbols of power to old Egyptian gods, and they were the only artifacts the thieves had taken of all the artifacts with a higher value, they had only stolen the scepters and staffs.  
  
Helena looked up from reading her papers, and saw Barbara glaring at her. She nodded, she was tired and needed to rest a while, especially after the accident at the museum.  
  
"I think we should get some sleep," Barbara announced, "We need clear heads to think. Do you want to stay?"  
  
"No," Huntress yawned, "I need a bath and a change of clothes."  
  
"You feeling ok?"  
  
"Yeah, most of the pain is gone," she got up and took an envelope of asprins out her pocket, "but I got this. I'll be back early tomorrow, we have to find Dinah."  
  
"Take this, in case you need it, I'll fix your in the meantime," Barbara gave her Dinah's earrings and mic. Helena sighed and put them on, as she walked towards the elevator.  
  
"Uh, Helena?" Barbara called after her. Helena stopped in front of the elevator door. Barbara pointed towards her ears. Helena remembered the cushions and took them off before she left.  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress leaped skillfully among the rooftops, for a moment the thought of Harley being part of what was happening to Dinah, entered her mind, but they had already verified that she was still in Arkham.  
  
Landing at the rear door of the bar, she began to search for the keys, suddenly she felt somebody approach her from behind. Her eyes changed and she spun around. Dinah stood in front of her.  
  
"Dinah!" Helena felt surprised, she activated the mic, "Oracle, she's here."  
  
***  
  
Oracle was already in her bedroom when she heard Helena's voice, she turned the wheelchair around and wheeled into the lab.  
  
"Dinah?" she asked, activating her comm. system.  
  
::Yes::  
  
"Be careful, we don't know what's happening to her, try to bring her here."  
  
***  
  
"Huntress, I've been waiting for you, Ra's wants to speak to you," Dinah slowly began to walk towards Helena.  
  
"Sorry but I don't speak to strangers, who's this Ra's?" Helena replied.  
  
"My master."   
  
* * *  
  
"Ra's?" Oracle frowned. She immediately brought some data on the computer screen, "It can't be."  
  
:: Who's this Ra's?:: Huntress asked Barbara.  
  
"Ra's Al Ghul was one of your father's most intelligent and mysterious enemies. He claims he's been alive for more than 600 years. Ra's headed a worldwide criminal organization whose mission was to purify earth and restore nature, destroying the human race."  
  
:: Another crazy eccentric::  
  
"But very dangerous, Ra's is always accompanied by his body guard, Ubu. His wickedness has originated from "The Lazarus Pit", a combination of unknown elements that work like an eternal source of youth. The collateral effect of this 'pit' was madness. He's head a cult with many followers, he's also an expert alchemist, Dinah could be under some of his charms.  
  
***  
  
"Speaking with Oracle?" Dinah smiled as she walked towards Helena.  
  
"Dinah, something has happened to you, let me help you," Helena replied.  
  
"You are the daughter of Batman, are you not?" a deep masculine voice interrupted. Huntress remained silent, she watched as a strange man appeared behind Dinah.  
  
"How old are you? 23, 25 perhaps?" he said.  
  
::I don't like this:: Barbara said, ::Careful, he's very dangerous::  
  
Ra's watched Huntress attentively, "Dinah has spoken to me about you, your abilities; I know what you really are."  
  
"What I am?" Helena frowned.  
  
"Half meta, half human, feline abilities. Your father is Bruce Wayne and your mother was Selina Kyle, the famous Catwoman, who was murdered."  
  
Huntress glared at Dinah, how many secrets had she told him? Ra's looked pleasingly at the sky and said, "The gods have blessed me with your presence, you are exactly what I've been waiting for. I have achieved many steps in my incantations, as well as improving the power of my potion for eternal youth."  
  
"Yeah, the potion that turned you insane," Huntress replied angrily.  
  
"No, it has made me see more clearly," Ra's answered, annoyed, "but now I have discovered something most important, I needed only the four scepters and somebody such as yourself with your characteristics, that will now allow me to expand my empire. You were fated to become the reincarnation of Bastet."  
  
::Bastet,:: Barbara confirmed, ::in Egyptian culture, she was represented with a human figure and a cat's head. She was originally a sun goddess, but after contact with the Greeks, she changed to a moon goddess. Bastet was the goddess of war, fertility, maternity, fecundity and other feminine virtue... ::  
  
"I think that you are dreaming" Huntress said to Ra's.  
  
"Do you know that the cats were sacred to Bast, and to harm one was deemed a great transgression? Come with us," Ra's offered his hand.  
  
"Sorry, not interested," Helena replied.  
  
"He's not asking you Huntress," Dinah stated, "He has given you and order."  
  
"Stay out of this! I do not want to fight you, "Huntress replied, her eyes remained glued to Ra's as she pointed to Dinah.  
  
"I do not need to fight." Dinah opened her moth, a sharp sound, emanating from her, threw Huntress against the metal door, denting it.  
  
* * *  
  
"Damn!" Barbara exclaimed as she lowered the volume of the comm. system. She checked the frequency of the sound and found it to be too high, she didn't know of anything that could produce that sound, unless. her blood suddenly froze.  
  
"It sounds like.it can't be." she looked fearfully at the monitor, "The canary cry.No, it's impossible, Dinah... Oh no, it's Dinah, she will kill her. the cry will kill Huntress!" 


	5. Canary cry

Huntress fell to the floor and covered her ears, the noise was deafening. She discovered the sound had come from Dinah.  
  
"Dinah stop!" she exclaimed, "Stop, you're hurting me!"  
  
::Huntress, get out of there:: Barbara screamed alarmingly over the comm., :: Get out of there! ::  
  
Huntress tried to get up, but it was useless, she fell again, the sound was slowly destroying her eardrums. Ra's now realized how strong Dinah's voice was.  
  
"Dinah! Please!!" Huntress tried to crawl away, but it was impossible, she had never felt pain such as this, blood began to trickle out her ears.  
  
"Have you changed your mind?" Ra's asked, stopping next to Dinah.  
  
Huntress tried unsuccessfully to protect her ears with her hands, she felt as if her brain was about to explode. Her comm began to short circut.  
  
"I think this will help you to think better" Ra's said.  
  
"Oracle, help me!" Huntress cried out desperately, curling her body, her eyes began to flutter. Dinah smiled, again she had control, she closed her mouth.  
  
"God." Huntress mumbled painfully, ".Oh God."  
  
:: Helena? Are you alright? :: Oracle asked over the mic, she lost the signal again.  
  
Helena couldn't hear her, all she heard was a resounding buzz in her head. Dinah leaned down, next to Huntress, "Had enough?" she began to remove the necklace and earrings, "You won't need this."  
  
"No, Dinah." Helena whispered, she grabbed her hands to stop her, Dinah saw Helena's hands stained with blood from her ears. "Damn." she said "You should have obeyed the first time! Get up!"  
  
Huntress couldn't move, she looked at Dinah trying to understand what's was happenig with her, why she was helping Ra's.  
  
Dinah threw the accessories to the floor, "I said, get up!" Dinah ordered and pulled Helena's body up by the lapel, but Huntress remained too dazed, she couldn't hear anything, her head felt too heavy and dark, as if she had lost all comprehension.  
  
"Wake up!!!" Dinah shook Huntress and then let her go; Huntress fell heavily to the floor.  
  
"Don't worry Dinah, Ubu will help us, tonight is the night," Ra's smiled, looking at the unconscious Huntress on the floor, "Tonight is the night."  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara was more than concerned, Ra's Al was a very respectful villian, somehow he had been able to control Dinah with one of his potions, and he would surely try to do the same to Helena. After she had lost contact with her, Bárbara had called Reese, he would help her to obtain more hints.  
  
Having only the facts of the robberies in the museums and the name of Ra's Al Ghul that appeared after so many years, she had to try to discover his den as soon as possible. The telephone rang and she picked up the call.  
  
:: Oracle? I t's Reese.. ::  
  
"Do you have something?" she asked anxious.  
  
::I got the copies of the pieces of paper that the police found in the stolen museums, they were written in old Egyptian, I have just sent it by mail, can you see it? ::  
  
Oracle looks in her mailbox immediately and opened it. They were copies of yellowish paper pieces.  
  
:: Can you decipher what they say? ::  
  
"I believe that I can make it... wait... One of them is an old fragment of the text of the Sarcophaguses: 'Bastet... it is there to stay until the earth is illuminated and descend to the hell he/she refers to one of the cycles of the transfiguration of one of the Egyptian kings, as vigilant together with Osiris.' "  
  
:: It sounds strange::  
  
"The other fragment comes from the Texts of the Pyramids, the declaration 508 'My mother Bastet has raised me, the one that lives in Nejeb has educated me; the one that lives in Dep has put their hands on me... ' Bastet appears in this text like the king's mother."  
  
:: I don't understand very well, what is all this? ::  
  
Barbara leaned in her seat and placed the pencil tip in her mouth and tried to explain to Reese, "The Egyptians adored animals, they represented manifestations of the divine things, these animals represented sacred concepts, they brought near and they united man, to the cosmos and the nature. The Egyptians adored animals in every period of their history, they were an integral part of his religion. The main sacred animals were the bulls, incarnation of Ptah, Ra, Montu and Osiris. The cat was representative of Bastet of Bubastis; the crocodile, Sobek; the hawks representatives of Horus."  
  
Barbara meditated for a few seconds. "Ra's Al said Huntress was fated to be the reincarnation of Batset. I deduce that Ra's seeks return to the life to the goddess using Huntress."  
  
:: Reincarnation? :: Reese asked surprised.  
  
"A God doesn't die... Possession would be the most appropriate word..."  
  
:: That is madness::  
  
"Not according to him," Barbara noticed the monitor again "If you analyze the text: 'Bastet... it is there to stay until the earth is illuminated and descend to the hel'l, the symbolism here is that she is a vigilant and in the second one, she is a mother 'My mother Bastet it has raised me, the one that lives in Nejeb has educated me; the one that lives in Dep has put their hands on me'... A mother takes care and protects her children. Batset was a Goddess that symbolized the energy of the ethereal, warm and revitalizing sun, she was the connection with the cult to the moon, coming from the mysterious side and lover of the night, characteristic of the cats."  
  
::What are you thinking?::  
  
"Bast was a wild goddess. To those who were in her favor, she gave great blessings, but her wrath was legendary and she was sometimes listed as one of Ra's avenging deities who punish the sinful and the enemies of Egypt." Barbara put hand on her hair. "Ra's Al headed a criminal world organization whose mission was to purify the polluted planet and to restore the nature destroyed by the human race. If he has in mind that idea in mind. he is planing something now."  
  
:: Are you telling to me that that lunatic seeks to bring an old Egyptian Goddess to life through Huntress? And he wants her to protect him and help him to achieve his plans? ::  
  
"Indeed..." 


	6. Trapped

Thanks to nightstalker for her help!!! HEY GUYS SORRY, I FORGET POST THIS PART IN THIS CHAPTER!!  
  
******************************  
  
A strong scent caused Huntress to open her eyes. It took her a few seconds to understand where she was. She raised her head, it felt heavy. The place was strange, like the inside of an old temple, only illuminated with torches; Egyptian hieroglyphics were painted on the walls. She was on her knees and Ubu, the gigant bodyguard of Ra's, held her strongly by the forearms. She noticed that her feet and hands were tied with long chains to the base of an enormous statue with woman's body and cat head, Bastet.  
  
"Hello Huntress," Ra's was in front of her with salts in his hand. "I am glad that you woke up, I have brought you to your new house."  
  
Helena felt dazed. She realized that she couldn't hear, she only saw his lips moving. Ra's gave the salts to Dinah. Helena saw the blond girl and was very worried, What had that man done to her? She didn't recognize her.  
  
"You have the characteristics that it looked for," Ra's continued, without knowing that Huntress was deaf. "You are the perfect element for Goddess Bastet. I need her, her powers and protection to reach success with my plans... and you will help bring her to me."  
  
Ra's clapped and Dinah gave him a vessel with bird form. Huntress didn't have any idea as to what was happening, but she knew immediately that she was in serious trouble.  
  
Dinah stepped to Huntress' side and grabbed her neck with her forearm. With her hand, she covered her nostrils. Huntress couldn't believe what Dinah was doing and she struggled, fighting to get loose. She closed her mouth until she had to open it to take air to her lungs, in that moment Ra's grabbed her jaw and put the mouth of the vessel in her mouth and made her to drink its contents, a viscous and bitter liquid.  
  
Huntress felt that she was drowning and had to swallow, drops of the liquid began to slip over her cheeks. Ra's emptied the whole content of the vessel and then, Dinah closed Huntress' mouth with her hands so she couldn't spit it out.  
  
"Now, daughter of Batman," Ra's told her, "you are ready be sacrificed, a God is going to live again thanks to you, we only have to wait. Rise, Bastet..."  
  
Dinah and Ubu dropped her and Huntress coughed several times and fell to the floor. Ra's laughed and left the room with Dinah and Ubu. Huntress was furious, she took one of the thick chains that tied her to the wall into her hands and began to pull, but it was useless. With rage she kicked several times the base of the link in the wall trying to remove it, but it was deeply buried.  
  
She fell over her knees supporting her head and hands on the cold floor, something was happening to her... that strange beverage was making her feel sick, everything moved around her. She couldn't call Oracle, Dinah had totally surprised her with the Canary Cry, She was deaf and her ears hurt her a lot. She was trapped.  
  
* * *  
  
Alfred arrived at the Clock Tower as soon as he could. Barbara had called him so he could helped her. She typed faster in her keyboard looking for a signal from Huntress and Dinah.  
  
"Thanks God you are here..." she said when she saw him.  
  
"What happened?" as Alfred came closer to her, Barbara rotated her wheelschair.  
  
"Things got complicated," she explained "Ra's Al Ghul, the old enemy of Batman, is behind all of this and he has Dinah, who he used to catch Huntress."  
  
"Does he have Ms. Helena?"  
  
"Yes, somehow Ra's was able to make Dinah sing the Canary Cry, that was the noise that we heard in the Museum the first time. Helena couldn't do anything against it. She wasn't prepare for that, Dinah surprised her, such as she surprised me. He is planning to use Helena to bring to an old Egyptian Goddess back to life, and so that she will help him in his plans. I have to find them."  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress didn't know how much time had lapsed since they had left her tied there. She was face up, she tried to liberate the pressure that she felt on her chest and that didn't allow her breathe. She felt terrible and her ears had not stopped hurting.  
  
Suddenly she heard steps, apparently she was recovering her hearing, inspite of all the bad, she felt an enormous relief. Ra's returned only with Dinah, Huntress tried to see them but she couldn't focus. Dinah stopped in the entrance, Ra's walked toward her.  
  
"Well, well," the villain said, leaning next Huntress, "you surprise me, you are really strong, you are giving battle to Batset. My potion should have already had you mentally empty and allowed Batset to take possession of you freely."  
  
He used his fingers to lift her lids and to examine Huntress' eyes, her pupils were two thin lines, her irises had aÂ dark orange color. He smiled and he opened her mouth, the youth's eyeteeth had grown a few millimeters.  
  
"Very well Huntress!" Ra's exclaimed pleased "You are a worthy carrier of a Goddess. But it would be easier for you, if you stopped fighting against Bastet. Let her enter in you, it's useless that you resist, Bastet only needs a few hours, she is a Goddess, and you are only a 'half' human being".  
  
"Bastard..." Huntress mumbled trying to wake up uselessly.  
  
Ra's walked to the exit "Just hours... shall we go Dinah?" he asked.  
  
"I will join you in a moment" the youth responded observing Huntress.  
  
Ra's left the room wanting to go to sleep for a while. Dinah walked closer to Huntress, there was something in her that called her attention and she didn't know what it was. Huntress moved restlessly on the floor. Helena felt Dinah's presence, and made an effort to turn her head to look at her, her cat-like eyes bore into Dinah who shivered in response.  
  
"Dinah... please..." Huntress whispered.  
  
Dinah saw her immobile and she hesitated a moment, she shook her head. Helena was turned trying to put her face down and get on her knees, suddenly she jumped over Dinah and hugged her legs making her fall. Huntress tried to get Dinah to touch her, perhaps in that way she could see her mind, her memories, and wake up out of the trance.  
  
"Release me!" the blond youth exclaimed moving her feet to disengage, but Huntress held her strongly, Dinah straightened out and grabbed Huntress' arms. A series of images became present as an avalanche in her mind. She felt a tremendous electric discharge that threw her back and knocked her half conscious.  
  
After a few minutes she opened her eyes, she felt like she was waking up out of a nightmare and she began to remember what had happened. She looked scaredly at the roof, she was in a unknown place and she quickly got up.  
  
It had not been a bad dream, it was reality. She suddenly looked at Huntress was curling herself on the floor, moaning softly.  
  
"Helena?" she knelt down next to her and straightened her hair, she was sweating so much, and saw her strange and distant eyes.  
  
"Dinah, help me..." Huntress groaned breathing excitedly.  
  
Dinah was paralized and felt terribly guilty about her friend's condition, it was the same image of Helena in her nightmares, the color of her eyes, the same suppliant look, the same place.  
  
"No, no, no" she began to say "This cannot be happening. Helena.... What did I do to you?" her eyes became moist and she hugged her stronger. "God! What I have done to you?". Her nightmares weren't dreams, they were a vision of the future.  
  
"Help me, I'm dying..." Huntress said weakening.  
  
"No, you are not dying" Dinah knew that there was little time before they discovered her. "I won't let you, I have to take you out of here."  
  
The girl focused all her mental power on opening the links that held Huntress' hands and feet. As soon as she freed her, she took Huntress' arm and put it over her back.  
  
"Come on, get up, we have to leave." 


	7. Am I dying?

Ubu abruptly opened the door of Ra's room, he glared at him angry.  
  
"They left!" he shouted.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"The girls aren´t here, they ran away"  
  
Ra's smiled, maybe the blond girl somehow had broken his charm, but it was too late, he got Huntress and with her, he will catch Dinah again. He loved the strong combat skills and the force of both girls, they would be so helpful.  
  
"Easy Ubu, easy, no problem." He said.  
  
"But."  
  
"Bastet is going to look for me soon, nobody could stop that now. Don't worry."  
  
"And the blond girl?"  
  
"When Bastet comes here, she can help us to catch her again, it will be most easy. Now, go!"  
  
* * *  
  
Oracle continued looking for hints to locate Huntress and Dinah. Reese helped her from his office but the information until that moment didn't take them to any side. She felt tired, there had been moments of enormous tension and she had not rested a moment. She rubbed her eyes with her fingers.  
  
"And if you go to bed a moment miss Barbara?" Alfred asked her coming closer with a cup of coffee.  
  
"Alfred I wouldn't, although I wished, I wouldn't be able to, knowing that Dinah and Helena are in danger."  
  
They looked frightened when they heard the door of the elevator open up. Oracle felt an enormous relief when she saw the two youths.  
  
"Thanks God! Are you ok?" Barbara wheeled toward them.  
  
"I'm ok, Helena's not..." Dinah went to the infirmary, helping Huntress to walk.  
  
"What happened?" Barbara lowered the ramp, Alfred followed her.  
  
"Somehow Ra's put a charm on me, Huntress was able to make me return to reality" Dinah reclined Helena on the bed and she cleaned the perspiration on her forehead "but it was too late, Ra's gave her something to drink and I couldn't help her."  
  
Barbara stopped her wheelchair next to Helena, she was almost unconscious, she breathed heavily with her mouth half-open trying to take air to her lungs. Barbara saw some strange white tips leaning out inside her mouth, she came closer and she raised Helena's upper lip a little, she was terrified when she found fangs where her teeth were.  
  
"What the hell is this?" she shouted, scared.  
  
Huntress half-opened her eyelids when she heard her scream. Barbara could see in that moment her cat pupils in the reddish orange iris. She understood the graveness of the situation then, and looked at Dinah, concerned.  
  
"I don't know what happened." Dinah told her with tears in her eyes and grabbing her arms, she felt guilty "Ra's forced her to take this drink... and I helped him, she tried to escape but I helped him to... God!" the youth started crying.  
  
"Dinah, calm down" Barbara took her arm "I Need you to remember, What did he give her?"  
  
"I don't know... a potion that he had prepared, it's transforming her in something, Ra's said that Bastet is going to enter into her. You have to stop it."  
  
Barbara took out a manual lamp and wheeled toward Helena. Barbara took her face with her hand.  
  
"Huntress, open your eyes." she asked. Huntress half-open her lids slowly "Do you see the light?" Barbara passed the beam of light directly on her pupils, "Do you see the light Huntress?"  
  
"The light...?" the girl hesitated. "Where?..."  
  
"The light... in your eyes, do you see it?  
  
"Where is it.?" Huntress moved her head searching for it.  
  
Barbara swallowed and looked confused at Dinah and Alfred. "Forget it," she said trying not to worry Huntress, she left the lamp to a side and put on a pair of gloves quickly "First, I need to take some samples of your body."  
  
She took out a rehearsal tube, and leaned towards Helena opening her mouth to take a sample of saliva, she stared at her fangs thoroughly, she never had seen something like that. She placed the sample in the rehearsal tube and gave it to Dinah. Barbara noticed in that moment the dry blood in Helena's ears, she covered her mouth with one of her hands and she remained some instants in silence. She bit her lip and thought about her words before asking, she would hurt Dinah.  
  
"... Was it the noise?" she finally asked Dinah.  
  
Dinah looked at Helena's ears and agreed sadly with her head. Barbara pressed her hand.  
  
"It's Okay, don't worry, please clean her ears, then take the scanner and pass it her whole body. I will take some blood samples. The noise produced an internal hemorrhage, she should have broken eardrums."  
  
"Oh God! Will she able to hear again?". Dinah could not avoid it, the tears sprang from her eyes again. She had told Ra's all of Helena's secrets, she had helped him to catch her. If something happened to her, she must live with it, the rest of her life.  
  
"Easy Dinah, they will heal on their own, I don't believe that it is that serious." Barbara tried to tranquilize her "She heard us perfectly well. If the perforation was big, it can be closed with an operation."  
  
"Barbara....?" she heard Helena's weak voice.  
  
"Yes?..." Barbara took her hand and she noticed the dry blood on Helena's hands, she had stained them when she covered her ears trying to protect them against the noise. She felt a knot in her throat.  
  
"Barbara... am I dying...?" Helena moved her eyes looking for her and she realized that she was blind.  
  
"No, you are not dying." she caressed her hair and stared with sadness at lost look in her eyes, those eyes usually blue and brilliant, now completely unrecognizable because of that red color.  
  
"I can't see..."  
  
"It's the effect of the drug that Ra's gave you, don't worry."  
  
"What... is happening to me?" her breathing began to shorten and it became quick, similar as to the breathing of a wounded animal.  
  
"I don't know, but we are trying to help you." Barbara gave her a soft clap on her cheek.  
  
Dinah finished scanning her body, Barbara took out the samples that she needed and she gave them to Dinah "Get it, while I go to the computer to check the images that you took."  
  
Suddenly Helena took Barbara's wrist strongly, she opened her eyes, her iris had grown, the color had transformed into a dark red, she began to tremble. Barbara saw that her fingernails had become fine claws.  
  
"Damn..." Oracle mumbled scared "What is this?"  
  
"Barbara..." Helena whispered, she felt a terrible pain in her chest "... help me..."  
  
Oracle saw the desperation in her face "Trust in me, I'm on that." she told her.  
  
"I can't breathe..." Huntress' began to feel as if she was drowning, she pressed Oracle's hand strongly.  
  
"Barbara, I. " Huntress grunted arching her body. Oracle looked at her, frightened, Dinah tried to sustain her to the bed but her force was incredible, and she fanned her. Alfred pulled Barbara back to prevent Huntress from hurting her.  
  
Helena fell to the floor convulsing for a few seconds, suddenly she was immobile. Dinah came closer and slowly touched her arm. Helena raised her face, her eyes were totally covered with the red color, her ears were sharpened and the eyeteeth had grown more than a centimeter, she grunted like a wild animal and she threw a punch at Dinah, she avoided her claws and Huntress ripped the iron table behind Dinah.  
  
Helena got up and she hit furiously the iron bed and bend it. She looked scared at her surroundings, gave a jump and fell near the gear of the clock, she took one of the tables and threw it against the window, she wanted hopelessly to leave.  
  
"No Helena!" Barbara exclaimed, but the girl didn't listen and she jumped over the glass. Dinah ran after her trying to stop her. She only reached the window to see Huntress run and hurtle for the balcony.  
  
"No!" she screamed knowing that she couldn't survive the fall. She stopped on the border and her heart sunk, Barbara hugged her.  
  
"No Helena, No! It was my fault. Everything was my fault!" the girl cried.  
  
"No Dinah, calm down." Barbara tried to console her.  
  
"She is dead Barbara." Dinah hid her face in Barbara's lap.  
  
"No Dinah, i don't believe it, she has an incredible force now, she is not herself, I'm sure she is looking for Ra's, remembers that she became that Egyptian goddess. I need that you calm down now, you have to help me find her. I need you here, now, Do you understand? Here, now...." 


	8. Agony

Barbara moved as quick as she could possibly move, before acting she had to be prepared. She began to revise the data she had gathered section for section, the results of the chemical composition of the blood and saliva of Helena worried her, shet put all her attention into trying to understand that enormous puzzle.  
  
"What the hell is this?" Barbara thought seeing the strange molecular structure that she had found, it was a very unusual composition of plants and elements.  
  
"Will you be able to prepare an antidote?" Dinah asked as she entered the room and looked at the stranger spiral on the screen.  
  
".I don't think so, I've never seen something like this before..." Barbara kept silent "This is worse than I imagined, I cannot reverse the process, Ra's needed a body with certain characteristics to be able to use for Bastet. Helena didn't drink a potion that charmed her, Ra's prepared her body and her organism to receive Bastet, it is a possession. Bastet is already in her, I cannot reverse the process."  
  
"What happens now?" Dinah asked, worried.  
  
"I don't know... God!" Barbara covered her eyes with her hands "I Need to sleep a while, and we don't have time."  
  
* * *  
  
Ra's examined the plans of the chemical plant in New Gothic City on a stone table illuminated by the light of a torch. He listened to noises outside of the room, suddenly the door was demolished violently. Huntress entered the room, Ra's looked her, pleased, and did a nodded slightly. Huntress walked up to him and grippped him strongly by the neck. Ubu tried to stop her but she threw him against the wall leaving him unconscious.  
  
"Bastet, wait!" Ra's said with drowned voice.  
  
Bastet grunted angry. Ra's tried to breath.  
  
"Excuse for not having welcomed you," he whispered "I invoked you because I need your help to rescue mother nature from human depredation. The Earth is being destroyed... Let me show you!"   
  
Huntress loosened her grip on Ra's and he knelt on the floor lowering his head "My dear Bastet, it is a pleasure to have contributed to your return. Excuse the delay, but I believe that you have realized that the body that I obtained for you is magnificent, and has been worth the delay. I will show you what is happening."   
  
Ra's approached the table and he showed the plans to her. "This is our immediate goal, destroy buildings like this one, come with me and I will show you."   
  
* * *  
  
A series of disasters in chemical and industrial plants began to occur in New Gotham City, leaving them completely useless. The police had not been able to detect what was happening. Reese knew the cause of the accidents but he preferred to keep that information only between him and Oracle, for the moment, trying to give her time to find the best alternative to rescue Helena. He felt really concerned, but he couldn't do more, Oracle was working in it and he had put all his trust in her.  
  
Dinah was in front of the monitor, she was looking at the last report sent by Reese and some pictures.  
  
"Huntress again?" Barbara asked, wheeling in the room.  
  
"Yes." Dinah sighed, giving her the pictures and leaving her to fall on the couch.  
  
Barbara observed them, goal pieces ripped by claws and metal doors left practically in two could be seen clearly. "Damn," Barbara mumbled seeing each one of the impressions.  
  
"Five of these in less than 7 days..." Dinah crossed her hands and pressed her lips together. "We must go look for them at the first possible moment..."  
  
"And how is it that we are supposed to go stop Huntress?" Barbara responded putting the pictures in the table and moving closer to her monitor. "The force that she has is impressive, she will sweep us in less than one minute. Also, Ra's would surely be waiting for you, he will wait for the smallest opportunity to catch you again."  
  
"They are no longer at the zoological! How we will locate them now?"  
  
"They will appear soon, Ra's won't stop now that he has Bastet by his side. We have to think of something, we are not facing somebody common." The alarm was activated, Barbara raised her head. "Reese..." she said and dialed the telephone.  
  
:: Oracle:: His voice was listless.  
  
"Hello detective... we are looking at what you have just sent us."  
  
::Do you have more information about Huntress?::  
  
"No, I am working on that, Ra's is a lunatic and with Huntress'..." Oracle hesitated looking for the appropriate word "... full possesion, it is suicide to try to stop them..."  
  
::I have been thinking that perhaps we will use gas to make them sleep...::  
  
"Well, and what are you going to do when Huntress wakes up? I don't believe that there is anything that can restrain her. Look at those doors, they were cut as if they were paper."  
  
::Oracle, we have to stop her quickly or they will take extreme measures... do you know what that means?::  
  
"Yes I know... Don't worry, we will solve this as soon as possible." Barbara hung up the phone and closed her eyes. She felt an enormous pressure from above, she was at a dead end.  
  
"I brought you coffee." Dinah's voice took her out of her thoughts, she opened her eyes and saw a cup of coffee in front of her.  
  
"Thank you." As Barbara took a sip, she looked at the blond youth. "Dinah... How were you able to create the Canary Cry?"  
  
"I don't know it..." she lowered her head, embarrassed.  
  
"It's ok, I was just curious. I thought that you would have the ability to achieve it but not until you grew a little more... I never imagined that you could do it now, What did Ra's Ra's do to you?."  
  
"He make me drink a beverage and suddenly everything that he told me was good for me..."  
  
"And how did you sing the canary cry?"  
  
"I was angry, first at the Museum, Huntress pushed me against the floor... and suddenly... out it came... and later, she made me angry again when she was talking with Ra's at the bar, it came out..."  
  
"Have you tried to do it now?"  
  
"Yes, but I am not able to... and I hurt Helena so much, I have her look nailed in my head."  
  
"Dinah, it wasn't your fault, he charmed you, now we have to look for a way to rescue her. You must learn, this work is hard and you need think first what to do or you will be death. "  
  
"Maybe he is going to attack the President tomorrow during his visit to the Museum, taking advantage of the fact that he has transformed Helena into Batset."  
  
Oracle looked at her, surprised. "Yes, it's possible, we have to stop him before. We need do something."  
  
"Let me try it" Dinah asked.  
  
"No, I don't want see you death."  
  
"But."  
  
"Dinah! Please!" Oracle said angry "I know that you feel that this is your fault but it isn't, remember that. Catch Huntress is going to be difficult, but will be most difficult keep her hold in a cell! Look the pictures again! Helena didn't drink a potion that charmed her, Ra's prepared her body to receive Bastet, it's a possession of an old Egyptian Goddess..." Oracle suddenly kept silence.  
  
".What happen?"  
  
"Dinah, go to the freezer and on the last shelf there are three flasks with plants, bring them to me."  
  
Dinah obeyed immediately. Barbara supported her elbows on the desk and she covered her face with her hands, she felt exhausted. A few seconds later, Dinah returned and gave her the flasks, Barbara examined them.  
  
"Ra's cannot kill Helena," she explained to Dinah "if he does, Batset will need to leave her beforehand or she would also die. We have to get Batset out of Helena's body, and the only way to do it, is to kill the body."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Dinah was paralyzed. "You want to kill Helena?"  
  
"No, take her to the borderline. With some plants from the Caribbean and Africa like those that I have here, I can prepare a substance that produces apparent death when arriving at the heart. At least sufficiently enough that the doctors will certify the death. The heart rhythm will decrease to the minimum. It is a natural chemical. But if the process doesn't stop quickly, it can really cause the death."  
  
"That is very dangerous."  
  
"We don't have alternative, we have to act quickly." Barbara wheeled around, heading for the laboratory.  
  
* * *  
  
Oracle had been studying samples in the microscope. Her eyes felt heavy with lack of sleep but she forced herself to continue. A noise outside startled her; she grabbed one of her Escrima sticks from a drawer and wheeled herself toward the door.  
  
A fist punched through the door followed by a kick that made the door fall to the floor. Standing in front of her was Helena or Bastet her eyes glowing an evil red. Barbara felt a shiver run through her body.  
  
"Helena?" she said wheeling backward, "It's me, Barbara, remember?"  
  
Helena raised one of her claws. Barbara raised her Escrima stick in response. Helena growled and she slammed one of mixers against the wall, she took a table and smashed it to the floor.  
  
Dinah opened her eyes; she had fallen asleep while reviewing some files. She was covered with a blanket. "Alfred must have done this." She thought and smiled. The Clocktower was quiet and she looked at the clock, it read 2 a.m. Dinah started to walk toward the lab.  
  
"Helena!" Barbara shouted when saw Huntress walking toward her "I'm Barbara!" she tried to hit her with the Escrima stick but Helena snapped it in half and grabbed Barbara by the neck raising her out of her chair. Barbara tried breaking the hold, but Helena was too strong. Suddenly, she felt the claws of Helena's other hand bury into her abdomen. Barbara was in agony. She hugged Helena, just as Helena buried the claw deeper.  
  
"No Helena." she whispered, knowing the wound was fatal. 


	9. Bastet in New Gothman

HEY EVERYBODY, PLEASE, READ AGAIN CHAPTER VI, I FORGOT POST A PART OF IT AND I REALIZED THAT TODAY..  
  
Thanks for your reviews, really, and thanks to Yank and Nightstalker for her help.  
  
Barbara began to slide down slowly. She fell near the Huntress' feet and looked into her eyes, they were devoid of expression. A trickle of blood began to run across her cheek. Huntress turned and walked toward the exit with out saying a word. Barbara tried to ask for help but she couldn't talk, she saw Huntress disappear behind the door.  
  
Barbara felt the coolness of the floor, and a tear appeared in her eyes, she couldn't save Helena, and she couldn't save herself. She had failed.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah entered to the lab, she found Barbara sleeping deeply, with her head resting over her arms on one of the tables in the lab. Barbara had been up all night trying to prepare the poison. One of the machines began to beep and startled Barbara awake.  
  
"Helena no!" she exclaimed, opening her eyes and looking around wildly.  
  
"It's me, easy" Dinah said. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Uh?. Oh, just a bad dream.don't worry" Barbara covered her face with her hands.  
  
"You look so tired, you need to rest Barbara."  
  
"I'm fine, please bring me the small guns that are in my desk."  
  
Dinah raised her eyebrows and walked upstairs to Barbara's desk. Barbara still felt the Huntress' claw in her stomach. She looked it, it was a very real dream. She took a deep breath, she had a deep feeling of failure in her soul.  
  
A few minutes later, Dinah entered to the laboratory taking the small guns that Barbara had requested, she filled some small capsules with a greenish liquid.  
  
"What is that?" Dinah asked as gave her the guns.  
  
"It is the poison, one is for you, another for me, it is necessary to shoot Huntress with them, you or me, the first one that sees her." Barbara loaded the darts from the gun with the capsules. "You only have a shot, don't fail"  
  
"And the antidote?"  
  
"I have to prepare it now..."  
  
The Delphi alert sounded, Dinah ran to the monitor. Barbara reached the monitor seconds later.  
  
"It's the factory of toxic waste," Dinah explained typing on the keyboard "they have just ordered the evacuation...."  
  
"I am sure that it's Ra's with Huntress, we have to go, it's our opportunity to stop them." Barbara went to look for the transponder.  
  
"The antidote?"  
  
"No time, let's go."  
  
* * *  
  
Ra's placed explosive in some tanks in the factory of toxic waste. Bastet had broken the thick safe-deposit doors with her sharps claws and had broken into the control room. She had been able to knock out the whole security team using her combat skills and she climbed on the high containers of the toxic substances placing the explosives. Ra's prepared the last loads and he laughed, Bastet arrived from a jump to his side. Ra's showed her the remote control.  
  
"Everything will finished in a moment, and tomorrow, the president arrives, I believe that I will be able to pay him a visit with you and we will be able to advance much quicker."  
  
A batarang crossed through the air and hit him in the hand. Bastet looked from where it had come, Dinah and Oracle were stopped in one of the accesses. She gave an express jump toward them and Dinah had to push Oracle to prevent her from falling into her, Bastet reached over, trying to grab Dinah's jacket and she fanned her against a grate.  
  
Dinah fell to the floor, she was surprised by the speed of Huntress, she was getting up when she felt a tremendous impact in her stomach that took out her air, Bastet had impacted all her body against her.  
  
Barbara knocked Ubu with a very strong blow and throw him against a window. She walked toward Ra's.  
  
"And who are you to interrupt my plans?" Ra's asked Oracle taking out its sword.  
  
"Somebody that will stop..." Oracle took out her Escrima sticks quickly.  
  
"Ok, it's your turns." Ra's attacked her but she was very skilled with her Escrima sticks, and she stopped the first blow with her right hand and with the left she hit him in the ribs.  
  
Dinah had problems with Bastet, it was not the same fight with a villain than with a Goddess in a meta-human body. Bastet clawed her and she reached to hurt her in the arm, Dinah gave her a furious look to her hand and stopped it in mid-air.  
  
"Wow" she was surprised herself "That was very good."  
  
Dinah began to build a kind of protective shield with her mental powers in front of her, to avoid the blows from Bastet, if she hit her, she could kill her, she began to think quick what to do, she had her pinned against a wall. She wondered how she had been able to give the canary cry, she began to attempt it but she only screamed normaly.  
  
Bastet suddenly heard the call of Ra's', Oracle was beating him, she ran towards them. She stopped in between Oracle and Ra's, showing her sharp claws as she grunted. She hit her strongly in the face.  
  
"She is one of those that want to see this world transformed into ashy Bastet" Ra's shouted to Bastet "It's necessary to kill her!"  
  
As Bastet came closer to her, Oracle instinctively stepped back. Dinah arrived running and she fell against Huntress, both stumbled to the floor. Bastet raised her claw, but Dinah stopped it with her hand. The brut force that Huntress used was impressive and it began to overtake her. Dinah focused all her concentration in on Huntress' claw and she made her hit herself, stunning Huntress for a moment.  
  
Ra's attacked Oracle repeatedly with the sword, but Oracle stopped each impact with her Escrima sticks and with a quick strike she knocked the sword out of his hands. Oracle then went on the attack. Oracle noticed that Huntress was on top of Dinah and was trying to stab Dinah with her claw. Oracle quickly reached into her pocket and took out the dart gun, aimed and shot Huntress.  
  
The dart hit Huntress' back, she got up and turned toward her attacker, she managed only to take a few steps before dizziness overcame her. Huntress' eyes rolled back into her head and she fell face forward.  
  
Oracle was still aiming the gun, when Ra's hit her wrist with the back of his sword with force, she felt and heard the sickening crunch of bones breaking. Oracle cried out in pain, she dropped the gun as she fell to her knees clutching her wrist.  
  
"What did you do to her!?" Ra's Al Ghul ran toward Huntress and he took her pulse. Desperate, he turned her face up "No, get up!" he bent over her to listen her heart and place his hands on her chest and began to pump it "No! No! "  
  
"Death was the only way to end her being Bastet, right?" Dinah looked at him furious "Without Huntress alive, there is no Batset!" Dinah focused all of her concentration on him, Ra's felt invisible hands around his neck. Using only the power of her mind, she lifted up more than a foot off the ground she began to strangle him.  
  
"No Dinah!" Oracle screamed, surprised just how strong Dinah was.  
  
"You used me to achieve your sick plans, you bastard! " Dinah screamed him "You made me hurt Huntress! You hurt Oracle! What do you believe that you deserve?"  
  
Oracle ignored the pain in her wrist, stood up and walked over to Dinah; she touched Dinah's shoulder with her good arm.  
  
"Dinah, he's finished, he's lost the game." she said, "He's not worth you killing. We don't kill, remember. No matter what."  
  
"Even for everything he's done to us?" Dinah cried.  
  
"Dinah... look," Oracle pointed to Helena lying lifeless on the floor, her face began to transform "You leave him alive, he will go to jail, Right now we have to save Helena, remember the antidote, if we don't give it to her soon, She really will die."  
  
Dinah understood, Oracle was right, Huntress was the most important thing in that moment, she allowed her mind to let go of Ra's, he crumpled to the floor heap floor spluttering and coughing. Dinah lifted him and tied him to on of the huge pillars.  
  
Oracle leaned next to Huntress, her face was normal again, and she took a piece of glass of the floor and placed it in front of her nose. A light film of steam formed, a good sign.  
  
"Oracle, your wrist." Dinah said.  
  
"No! Not now, we have to take Helena immediately to the Clock Tower and prepare the antidote." Oracle said as she got up, "I will help you, put one of her arms around my neck and you take the other side. We'll call Reese from the Hummer to pick up Ra's."  
  
Knowing Oracle was running on pure adrenalin right now, Dinah obeyed her and lifted Helena off the floor.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara and Dinah arrived at the Clock Tower with Helena, Alfred waited for them in the parking garage with a stretcher. Dinah and Alfred wheeled Helena to a special room that previously Barbara had prepared to help Helena and give the necessary medications. Barbara meanwhile walked quickly to her room to take off the neuralizer. After a few agonizing minutes on her bed, Barbara climbed into her wheelchair being careful of her wrist and started toward special room.  
  
"Alfred, please see to Barbara's wrist, it's broken." Dinah asked.  
  
"No! " Barbara exclaimed "Alfred, connect her to the monitors, I need to see her heart activity, blood pressure and vital signs." Alfred immediately began to work.  
  
"Well," Barbara wheeled to Helena's side "it's necessary to channel her with normal saline, she's having trouble breathing, we need help her, Dinah, take the table that I left prepared behind you and I will tell you what to do."  
  
"Am I going to put a tube down her throat?" Dinah asked, eyes going wide.  
  
"You have to learn, place Helena right on the bed, extend her head and flex lightly the neck, it's necessary to align three axes: the mouth, larynx and the windpipe. You have to introduce the tube smoothly, and as quick as possible."  
  
After seconds that were eternal to Dinah, she was able to introduce the tube into Helena's throat and connect it to the ventilator to help her breathe. Barbara looked at the monitor; suddenly a small beep was heard.  
  
"We have her." she exclaimed, "We have her! Dinah, we have to prepare the antidote, we don't have much time."  
  
Dinah s began to work with Barbara guiding her every step of the way. Barbara followed every movement of Dinah and gave her instructions. When the mixture was finished, they went to where Helena was.  
  
Dinah extended Helena's forearm and she injected it. "Will she be ok?" Dinah asked wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of he hand.  
  
"Wait, we have to wait to the antidote reverses the affects. All we can do is sit here and wait." Barbara looked at Helena's terribly pale face, her lips were white. It broke Barbara's heart to see Helena, usually so strong, attached to a machine that helped her to breathe. Alfred walked over at that moment with a splint kit.  
  
"Miss Barbara, give me your arm." Alfred pleaded.  
  
"Alfred I don't.." Barbara tried to move away, only to hiss in pain.  
  
"We have to immobilize your wrist, Miss Barbara and you need take some pills for the pain. You will help Helena more if you are strong enough to help, not if you are in agony."  
  
Barbara nodded her head as she begrudgingly agreed, Alfred was right, she couldn't do anything do more for Helena. She wheeled near the table and supported her hurt hand there. She bit her lip to avoid screaming in pain when Alfred took her arm, and placed it in the orthopedic splint He left on the table two pills and a glass of water.  
  
"Take those and soon you will be feeling better." He said as he smiled and walked toward Dinah."Now it's your turn, Miss Dinah. Let me help you with your jacket I need to check your arm, also I believe you are hurt."  
  
Dinah, in that moment remembered that Helena had clawed her arm. "Oh, I forgot." She said as she looked at her jacket. "It's not deep."  
  
"I see but it still needs cleaning." Alfred smiled."The three of you never take proper care of yourselves, please allow me."  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah went out to the balcony to get some air; she needed to be alone for a while, now she understood even more, the importance of training appropriately.  
  
The time lapsed slowly, Dinah felt restless and she returned to the room where Huntress was. Barbara was seated in front of the monitor that registered her cerebral activity and the heart rhythm of Helena; the respirator had been replaced with an oxygen mask. The faint beep of the monitor was the only sound in the room.  
  
"I don't understand, the antidote worked, but she's not coming out of it." Barbara said in low voice when felt Dinah's presence behind her. "Helena is still critical. I have checked everything and I don't understand why... Can you stay with her a moment? I just want to freshen up a little bit." Barbara wheeled away heading for her bedroom, she entered her bathroom and washed her face.  
  
Barbara stared into the mirror at her reflection "What have I done?" Helena was in a coma, alive in the sense physically but not mentally. Barbara feared that when Bastet entered her, it had been too mentally and physically draining on Helena, forcing her body to limits that were beyond even Helena's Meta capabilities. After the possession, Helena could be too weak to recover from the poison that she injected into her. 


	10. Crisis

Dinah came closer to her friend. Helena's face was ashen, and was breathing so shallow in the oxygen mask, she felt an enormous feeling of guilt and sadness wash over her as she looked at Helena.  
  
She sat down and took Helena's hand, "Forgive me Helena, it's all my fault. If I hadn't helped him, you wouldn't be in this condition. If anything happens to you I will never forgive myself."  
  
Dinah noticed that the beep of the monitor began to slow, she stared at Helena, "No" she mumbled, she hesitated for a second, knowing Barbara wouldn't like what she was about to do, but she couldn't stand by and watch Helena die. Dinah looked around to see if anyone was in the room. She grasped Helena's hand tighter and entered Helena's mind.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah was suddenly standing on a great cliff; the sky was covered with black clouds. The trees and surrounding area was desolate and dead. She began to call Helena's name and suddenly, looking below she saw her. Helena was in a large pit with quicksand all around her and sinking fast. Only Helena's head and arms were visible, her eyes were closed.  
  
"Helena!" Dinah looked around the side of the cliff for a way down, and half slid half fell down to the side of the bank.  
  
Dinah screamed Helena's name, again. Helena opened her eyes half way, and looked around dazedly.  
  
"Where am I?" She thought and realized that she was trapped in quicksand. "How? The last thing I remember is the infirmary and Barbara. What the hell....? ..How did I get here?..." Helena tried to clear her head as she began to sink further....  
  
Dinah came closer to the bank and touched the thick gooey mess, it was thick but if she were to try to step in it she would sink too. She pulled a dry trunk and she left the half on the bank and threw the other half into the quicksand, Dinah lied on top of the trunk as she tried to reach Helena with a branch. Dinah extended the branch toward her.  
  
"Helena! Try to stretch out to reach the branch!" she shouted.  
  
Helena saw the branch moving at short distance, and she stretched out trying to touch the tip but she couldn't, she sunk more and had to raise her head to breathe.  
  
"Oh God." Helena said.  
  
"I won't leave you here, Hold on!" Dinah screamed looking for something else to try to get Helena out of there.  
  
* * *  
  
As Barbara wheeled herself back into the room, she saw Dinah asleep in a chair with her head on Helena's bed. Barbara wheeled closer to them she realized that Dinah was sweating and she was holding onto Helena's hand. She noticed Helena's heartbeat was slow and irregular and that her breathing was rapid and shallow. Dinah's hand trembled at the force of which she held Helena's hand.  
  
"Damn" she mumbled, "Dinah I have told you a thousand times not to do this!"  
  
* * *  
  
Helena closed her eyes, fatigue was overtaking her, and she didn't have the strength to fight. Dinah started to cry as Helena sank further into the quicksand.  
  
"Take it easy, Dinah." the girl heard Barbara's voice, she turned, and looked Barbara stopped behind her.  
  
"How...did.you...?" she asked.  
  
"We'll talk about it later. What I need you to do is calm down and concentrate. I Want that you concentrate, focus your mind on Helena." Barbara said.  
  
Dinah closed the eyes and she began to concentrate.  
  
"Focus, Dinah. Focus everything you have on lifting her out of there. You can do it, Dinah I know you can." Barbara tried to motivate her and noticed that Helena's body began to move toward Dinah.  
  
"Good " Barbara said "Good, Dinah don't loose your concentration." Helena began to slowly lift out of the quicksand, she was halfway out of the quicksand, when suddenly Dinah felt something grab hold of Helena. The girl was pulled back into the quicksand and began to sink once again.  
  
"Don't lose concentration Dinah!" Barbara exclaimed, "Hold onto her!"  
  
"Barbara, something is pulling her away from me!" Dinah told her without looking away from Helena. Dinah felt herself being pulled into the quicksand. A force pulled her off the ground and dropped her into the quicksand.  
  
Suddenly they heard laughter. Ra's was on a rock observing them at a short distance.  
  
"I lost Bastet with your little trick." he smiled "Now it's fair that you lose her for real."  
  
"What is he doing here?" Dinah asked to Barbara.  
  
"Hold onto Helena!" Barbara ran toward Ra's, he brandished his sword.  
  
"Let us end this once and for all!" he exclaimed as he swung the sword toward Barbara.  
  
Barbara avoided the impact and she kicked him the ribs. Ra's hit her with the back of his hand. Barbara looked for an opening to grab the sword out of his hand.  
  
Dinah levitated herself out of the quicksand. She reached back in to try to keep Helena's head from going under. Ra's mental link with Helena was too strong; she continued to sink lower into the quicksand. Dinah was loosing ground fast; Helena's head was just about to go under.  
  
Ra's swung his sword and narrowly missed Barbara, but sliced her shirt. "I believe that, even after everything you do here, Batman's daughter will still be able to complete her journey. He laughed, "Don't you understand, that Bastet will help to save the world?"  
  
"You deceived Bastet to come here and you used an innocent person to achieve your evil plan, you bastard!" Barbara shouted.  
  
"One persons life is meaningless compared to the lives of an entire planet!" Ra's rushed with fury against Barbara, she bent and picked up a stick off the ground and began to defend herself from the furious attack. Dinah observed Barbara's disadvantage against Ra's, they fought on the cliff above the quicksand.  
  
"No, no" she began to repeat "Focus, Dinah, focus." Dinah stood up "Focus." Suddenly, she ran toward the quicksand and levitated herself over it and fell into Ra's. "That was damn good," she thought. Using both hands, Dinah hit him in the neck. Barbara took advantage of the opportunity and twisted the sword out of Ra's hand. Barbara then punched him in the face.  
  
"Release Huntress!" she screamed at him.  
  
"Never!" Ra's surprised Barbara knocking the wind out of her by elbowing her in the stomach. He was about to hit her again, but Dinah grabbed his hand. Ra's turned.  
  
"My small apprentice," he said pointing at Huntress "It will be a pleasure to kill you, after I kill her first."  
  
Ra's stunned Dinah with a swift kick that propelled her to the ground. Dinah lost her link to Helena and she began to sink faster into the quicksand. Dinah screamed and tackled Ra's; both of them fell off the side of the cliff and toward the quicksand. At the last second, Dinah reached out and grabbed a root that stopped her fall. Ra's fell into the quicksand. Dinah looked down into the quicksand for Helena, but Helena had disappeared.  
  
"Calm down" she closed the eyes "Relax, focus, focus." Barbara leaned over the side of the cliff and saw Dinah; she realized what she was doing. Helena's body surfaced as Dinah was levitating it to the side of the quicksand.  
  
"Go! Barbara go to her!" Dinah screamed her "I can climb up by myself." Barbara ran towards the bank. Ra's lost his hold on Helena when he fell into the quicksand and began to sink. Barbara grabbed Helena by her jacket and pulled her towards the edge of the quicksand, she was covered in mud.  
  
"No!" Ra's exclaimed as he struggled to reach Helena, but he sank faster. Dinah looked down as Ra's disappeared under the quicksand. Dinah sighed in relief as she began to climb up the side of the cliff.  
  
Barbara placed Huntress down on the ground and cleaned the mud off of Helena's face, she took her pulse, the girl wasn't breathing.  
  
"Come on Helena, breathe.damn you breathe..." she told her and began to try to resuscitate her. "Come on Helena, fight!" 


	11. A family

Dinah ran down to the bank and looked on as Barbara was doing CPR on Huntress.  
  
"1001, 1002, 1003, Helena please!" Oracle said looking Helena's face "You can do it, come on, 1001, 1002."  
  
Dinah looked her in silence, where had Ra's come from?. He had dissapeared in the quicksand and, hopefully they would not see him again, but now she felt a great anguish for Huntress. Barbara continued trying to bring back Huntress, Dinah held her breath.  
  
Helena 's body jerked as she spat out water and muck. Oracle turned Helena on her side so she didn't choke.  
  
"You did it, Helena." Oracle said as she.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara's eyes snapped open as she woke up and let go of Dinah's hand. Helena, meanwhile woke up and struggled with the oxygen mask trying to take it off, but Barbara grabbed onto hand. Helena's eyes opened halfway confused not knowing where she was.  
  
"Easy Hel, take it easy. Barbara told her "Take deep breaths and let it out slowly. Everything is alright."  
  
"Is she alive?" Dinah woke up suddenly confused.  
  
"Yes, alive and awake." Barbara smiled as she still held the oxygen mask on and held onto Helena's hand that was struggling to take it off. "It's okay, Helena easy, okay, you're safe. No one's going to hurt you."  
  
Helena recognized Barbara and stopped struggling. She sighed with relief and closed her eyes. The nightmare was over  
  
"You're going to be okay," Barbara told her looking at the monitors, her beat began to return to a normal rhythm "The worst is over... Dinah, hold the mask, please, I need to check her vital signs on the monitor."  
  
Dinah held the oxygen mask over Helena's face.  
  
"See." she said smiling, "I told you, I wouldn't leave you there."  
  
Helena nodded her head slightly and squeezed Dinah's hand lightly. Helena felt very tired, but she was safe, she was home.  
  
* * *  
  
They moved Helena into Barbara's room and now, a few hours later, Dinah stood quietly in the doorframe, unnoticed. Helena dozed still hooked up to IV's and oxygen, Barbara was sitting in her chair beside her, she sat there for hours just looking at Helena. The invisible tie that unites them was impressive, in spite of being so different in personalities, Barbara being like a ray of sunshine, and Helena being the dark and broody storm cloud.  
  
Every day Dinah marveled how their connection grew, created by their mutual tragedies. They will be forever connected and each has grown through tolerance and acceptance. Helena and Barbara can most definitely bring out the best and worst of each other, but the invisible tie that binds them is strong enough to see them through even the darkest of times.  
  
Helena stirred restlessly in the bed and she half-opened eyes. She was still very weak; it took a few seconds to realize she was in Barbara's bedroom. She looked over to her right to find Barbara.  
  
"Hello" Barbara smiled. Helena moved her arm slowly trying to reach Barbara's hand. She held onto Barbara's hand and squeezed it gently. "How do you feel?"  
  
Helena nodded slightly with her head "What happened?" she asked in a weak voice.  
  
"Dinah was given a potion by Ra's to completely control her mind. Dinah then helped give you Ra's potion so he could 'Save the World', and bring the ancient goddess Bastet back by having you possessed by her. You forced Dinah to touch you and her memories came flooding back and that broke the hold he had over her" Barbara explained. "but you were possesed by Bastet for several days..."  
  
Helena whispered, "...Dinah?"  
  
"She is fine, she's so worried because she hurt you with her newfound Canary Cry... Dinah doesn't know how she did it. She's been trying to repeat it without success, yet. However with practice I think that will be a formidable weapon. Don't worry I am going to build a soundproof room and develop some kind of earplugs for us. Until then, however I will keep her practice limited to far away from your ears. " Barbara smiled "Oh, I figured out what was wrong with your ears. Your eardrums were ruptured, they will heal on their own and your hearing is fine."  
  
Helena gave her a slight smile and eyed the splint on Barbara's wrist. Barbara saw where Helena was looking and raised the splint up.  
  
"Ah. kitchen accident..." Barbara explained as she raised her eyebrows.  
  
"That is so a lie. You don't cook." Helena said with weak voice. "And that bruise in your cheek?"  
  
"Shh. Don't talk. I'll be okay in a few weeks. Please don't worry about it, it's nothing." Barbara played it off.  
  
Helena looked the oxygen tank and the monitors around her.  
  
"Don't worry," Barbara arranged the bag of saline next to her " I promise that you are going to be fine, the worst is over. I'm going to take this off tomorrow morning. You are weak yet and I prefer to monitor you just one more day."  
  
Barbara rubbed her hands and lowered her eyes "I'm sorry Hel, I failed you," she said in low voice "I almost killed you with my hasty." Helena tried to say something but Barbara forestalled her, "Shh, please, let me finish... I thought that the only way to save your life was taking you to the brink of death... I didn't stop to think that you were very weak and you couldn't come out of it. I had accused you many times of being impulsive and reckless, I believe that this time I was the one..." Barbara bit her lip and tears were welling up in her eyes. "I was so afraid I'd lose you, I was so frightened."  
  
Helena shakily moved her hand to remove the oxygen mask so she could speak. "Don't cry... please."she muttered. "You saved me..."  
  
"No. Dinah saved you, she rescued you. So many times we've seen Dinah as an impulsive girl but she has matured into a young woman before our eyes." Barbara told Helena.  
  
"Barbara" Dinah entered to the room with crossed arms "It was my fault, all of it. I', the one to blame here, not you."  
  
"Dinah," Barbara wheeled around to look at her. "We talked about this already."  
  
"Yes, and I remember that you said that in our line of work there are risks, we make mistakes though and make bad decision. It's part of being human, we all make mistakes." Dinah said to Barbara.  
  
"Score one for the kid..." Helena chuckled softly and placed the mask back on again.  
  
"Barbara" Dinah crouched down next to her "You've always had the biggest responsibility. Even the great Oracle can't be perfect all the time You were exhausted when we spoke about how to save Helena, remember?. Also, Helena and I both know how much you love us and that you would give your life for us and we would do the same for you."  
  
Dinah stood up and looked over at Helena. Dinah was so happy to see Helena's eyes shining brilliant blue again.  
  
"You got hurt too... " Helena said quietly as she looked at the bandage on Dinah's arm. "Did I...?"  
  
"Ah, no...um...kitchen accident." Dinah answered. Barbara wrinkled her nose and pinched Dinah. It was the same excuse that she had given to Helena.  
  
Dinah jumped, 'What? What did I say?" She asked.  
  
"Thanks Dinah," Helena said quietly. Oh boy her friends were such bad liars.  
  
"No, Hel," she smiled, "I owe you a huge debt and I don't think I will ever be able to repay it."  
  
"Debt? ...What debt?" Helena asked  
  
"For your advice, your help, your yelling at me, your relentless teasing, for the beatings that you give me in the training room, you are that perfect annoying big sister that just loves to torment the little sister, like me." Dinah said seriously.  
  
Huntress coughed and laughed through the oxygen mask. Barbara also laughed, and looked Dinah.  
  
"Dinah, don't do that." She said, "She's not quite strong enough yet. Helena needs rest as a matter of fact so do we. Okay Hel rest, we'll be back later," Helena nodded her head in agreement. Barbara covered her with a sheet and Helena closed her eyes and nodded right off to sleep.  
  
Barbara wheeled the chair outside of the room and Dinah followed her.  
  
"Barbara," Dinah stopped Barbara outside "I hope someday I will become just a fraction of the wonderful person that you are." Barbara was speechless. Dinah had become to think of Barbara as a mother figure. "You and Helena are my family, I know that I'm too young yet, but I hope could give to you a small part of all the wonderful things that you have given me."  
  
Barbara hugged her. Dinah was right, they were a family.  
  
Thanks to all for your comments. I enjoy writing it, I hope you too. 


End file.
